


Melted Snowflakes

by belivaird_st



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 19:54:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17127719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st
Summary: Therese doesn’t make it to Rindy’s holiday chorus concert like she had promised.





	Melted Snowflakes

Mrs. Hardy, the music teacher, began to play the song “Up on the House Top” on a light brown, upright piano. A total count of 22 first-graders were singing the song onstage at the auditorium; all dressed up in formal black-and-red concert attire. Their high-pitched voices blended well with certain ranges on key notes:

_“Up on the housetop reindeer paws,_  
_Out jumps good old Santa Claus!_  
_Down through the chimney with lots of toys,_  
_All for the little ones, Christmas joys!”_

Parents were seated in chairs, watching the holiday chorus concert. Rindy’s mother and godmother, Aunt Abby, were sitting together on the right side of the audience. A chair next to them was left for Therese, but she was not there.

 _“Ho, ho, ho!_  
_Who wouldn’t go?_  
_Ho, ho, ho!_  
_Who wouldn’t go?_  
_Up on the housetop, click, click, click!_  
_Down through the chimney with old Saint Nick!”_

Mrs. Hardy finished the song by a loud hit of the high note. As she pulled her hands away, the first-grade students all took a long, dramatic pause to hear the loud rupture of applause coming from the audience.

Standing tall and confident in a red velvet dress and ribbon headband, Rindy grinned from the second row of the bleachers, trying to find her mommy in the crowd. She saw Carol clapping and Aunt Abby blowing whistles out from her index finger and thumb. But seeing the empty chair that was meant for Aunt T, broke Rindy’s heart. Therese had not seen her concert tonight, because she was still at work.

Rindy met up with Carol and Abby outside of the auditorium in their coats and gloves. “My singing angel,” Carol sang, embracing the running child. She kissed her face and held her close. “That was so beautiful!”

“Nice job, honey,” Abby agreed.

“Aunt T?” Rindy gazed into her mother’s eyes with hope.

“No, sweetheart,” she heard Mommy say, “Aunt T couldn’t make it tonight.”

“Who wants a hot fudge sundae?” Abby lightly suggested. “My treat.”

Carol kissed Rindy on the forehead while her daughter crumpled against her hold. Therese had promised her the night before that she would make it to the holiday concert. But she didn’t, and broke that promise... 

xxxxx

Arriving home late from the office, Therese felt so ashamed for missing Rindy’s concert. All the lights in the apartment were off. Carol had gone to bed. Rindy did as well in the guest room. Therese quietly left both her briefcase bag and scarf on the kitchen table before making her way upstairs.

She entered the guest room, looking across at the sleeping girl with her hands folded together. The bright glow of the moon was beaming out from the window. Therese carefully made her way towards the guest bed and kneeled down beside her adopted daughter.

“I am so sorry, Rindy,” Therese spoke in a soft, sad tone. She cupped the girl’s face and rubbed the long, dark bangs with her thumb tenderly.

Rindy stirred, then slanted her eyes open.

“Hey,” Therese greeted gently.

“Aunt T, you promised,” Rindy whined. She began to rise up, making Therese pull her hand away.

“I did, but work had me—”

“I know,” Rindy cut off.

Therese bit her bottom lip. “Will you forgive me?”

Rindy bopped her head.

Therese sighed in relief, then leaned over to kiss her between the eyes.

The whole time Carol had been standing in the doorframe, watching, with crossed bare arms over her teal satin robe.


End file.
